Hitherto, in treatment for a biological material such as DNA using magnetic particles, pre-treatment is performed first in a manner such that liquid storage portions are prepared as many as the number of treatment steps and a solution such as a reagent solution necessary for treatment is arranged while being dispensed from a reagent container every treatment. After the arrangement for the solution is completed, a solution stored in each liquid storage portion is suctioned or suctioned after being repeatedly suctioned and ejected using a dispensing device, a magnetic field is applied to magnetic particles so as to separate and adsorb the magnetic particles to an inner wall of a dispensing tip, a remaining solution is ejected to each liquid storage portion, and the dispensing tip is moved to the next liquid storage portion while the magnetic particles are adsorbed to the inner wall. Then, the same process is repeated as many as the number of treatment steps (Patent Literatures 1 and 2).
In this way, in the related art, an empty liquid storage portion needs to be prepared as many as the number of treatment steps other than a reagent container storing a reagent in advance, and a reagent needs to be dispensed and arranged as pre-treatment. For this reason, when the number of steps or reagents used for the treatment is large, the field of the dispensing tip is widened. Accordingly, the movement distance or the working space of the dispensing tip increases or the dispensing tip passes along a complex path. As a result, there is a concern that a movement mechanism or control becomes complex. Further, there is a problem in that the working efficiency in space may be degraded.
Further, in the treatment of the related art, the treatment is started in a manner such that a different dispensing tip is attached to the nozzle of the dispensing device again after pre-treatment of dispensing a reagent necessary for the treatment into each of the liquid storage portions prepared as many as the number of steps. For this reason, it takes treatment time as a whole. As a result, a problem also arises in that the working efficiency in time may be degraded.
Particularly, when a biological tissue such as bacteria, a solid material such as coughed-up sputum, excreta, and food, a high-viscosity material, or a plant is inspected as a sample, it takes a time for pre-treatment to promote a reaction with a reagent caused by the homogenization, the suspension, or the extraction of a target material into a solution, for example, in an inspection or treatment for bacteria having a rigid shell like staphylococcus such as a tubercle bacillus or a pneumococcus. For this reason, the working efficiency in time is degraded or an enough reaction between the target material and the reagent may not be performed. As a result, a problem arises in that the reaction treatment may not be performed with high reliability and efficiency.
Further, in a case where amplification treatment and an optical measurement for the extracted DNA are performed, a reaction container is optically measured by an optical measurement unit when a separated/extracted target material is manually transferred and introduced into the reaction container along with a reaction solution, the reaction container is manually sealed, and a reaction is caused by using a reaction temperature control device in the related art.
In this way, when the steps are manually performed, a user feels a big burden. Further, when the steps are performed in combination of a dispensing device, a centrifugal separation device, a magnetic device, a temperature controller, a reaction container sealing device, and an optical measurement device, the number of the devices in use increases. Thus, there is a concern that the working area may be widened. Particularly, when each nucleic acid extracted from a plurality of samples (specimens) is handled, amplification treatment is needed, and a trouble further increases. Further, there is a concern that the working area may be widened further.